Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom made any financial contribution to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in 2014; and if not, whether they have any plans to do so in 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK did not make a contribution to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in 2014. An offer of a contribution from a Foreign and Commonwealth Office-managed fund was made in January 2015, but we have received no response to this offer.

India

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of whether coercion is being exercised on Indian citizens to reconvert to Hinduism.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware that incidents of discrimination against minority communities in India do still occur. India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies and programmes to support religious minorities.We discuss minority issues with the Indian authorities and support minority groups through the Department for International Development’s programme in India which helps to promote equal treatment and access to services for the most disadvantaged communities.I refer the noble Baroness to my previous answers of 31 December 2014 (HL3847 and HL3848).

Government Departments: Flags

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 5 February (HL4556), whether flags on Government buildings are flown at half-mast following the deaths of democratically elected heads of state, or of other heads of state; if not, why not; and whether the definition of monarch used for the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia applies to all monarchs around the world.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The decision to fly Union flags on Government buildings at half-mast following the death of a democratically elected head of state, or of other heads of state, is made on a case by case basis. I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 5 February, to Lord Gardiner’s question HL4556, that in line with long-standing arrangements, the Union Flag is flown at half-mast on Government buildings following the death of foreign monarchs. This definition applies to current ruling Monarchs only.

European Commission

Lord Stevens of Ludgate: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 29 January (HL4232), whether they exercise any control of, or issue any guidance about, the extent to which United Kingdom members of the European Commission should express their personal opinions; and if so, in what terms.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There is no specific control or guidance regarding the extent to which members of the Commission should express their personal opinions.The Code of Conduct for European Commissioners makes clear that Commissioners retain the right to express their personal opinions.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent BBC Future of News report and its suggestion that the BBC is looking to develop a World Service for North Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: This is a matter for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which is editorially, managerially and operationally independent of the Government.

Panama

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether surveillance equipment has been provided by the United Kingdom to the government of Panama; and if so, for what purpose.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The United Kingdom provides bilateral assistance on tackling organised crime to a range of international partners in line with the UK’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy. It does so to tackle international organised crime and minimise the threat it poses to the UK. In order to maintain operational security the UK does not disclose the detail of such operational cooperation.

Middle East

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Palestinian and Israeli officials to ensure a resumption of direct talks and their commitment to a two-state solution.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK's priority remains the achievement of a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve this is through negotiations and hope that it will be possible to resume direct talks soon. We have regular discussions with Palestinian and Israeli officials. At the current time we are urging the parties to avoid taking any steps which will make the resumption of meaningful talks more difficult.

Iran

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether human rights abuses in Iran and that country’s support for terror groups have been discussed as part of the nuclear negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: EU 3 (France, Germany and the United Kingdom) +3 (China, Russia, and the United States), nuclear talks with Iran have focused exclusively on the nuclear issue. However, Iran’s poor human rights record and links to proxy groups outside its borders remain causes of serious concern. We raise these issues publicly, in multilateral fora and in our bilateral contacts with Iran.

Iran

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Iran’s financial and material support for international terror groups.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to have serious concerns about Iran's support to militant groups across the Middle East including Hizballah, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and other Palestinian rejectionist groups, as well as Shia militant groups in Iraq and radical opposition elements in Bahrain. This support includes the provision of financial resources and training as well as the supply of military equipment, in contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1747 which prohibits the export of weapons by Iran.

Libya

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made towards the reopening of the British Embassy in Libya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Embassy in Tripoli has been temporarily closed since 6 August 2014, due to ongoing fighting and instability. The safety and security of our staff is paramount: we will re-open our Embassy in Tripoli when the security situation has improved sufficiently to keep our staff safe. A small team of British diplomats focused on relations with Libya are currently working from our Embassy in Tunis, as well as a team in London. Our core diplomatic activity also includes the work of the UK Special Envoy to the Libyan Political Transition, Jonathan Powell, who is continuing to work with the UN by pursuing mediation efforts to agree a negotiated political settlement, which offers the best hope of stability for the country.

Iran

Lord Davies of Stamford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Iran's ballistic missile research and development programme.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1929 prohibits Iran from all activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and its continued development in violation of UNSCRs, is a significant concern. We keep Iran’s ballistic missile programme under constant review.

Tunisia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Arab Partnership Economic Facility for Tunisia will concentrate on productive investment; and whether they will promote joint public–private investments designed to increase employment there, whether they are jointly British and Tunisian or wholly British.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Arab Partnership Economic Facility supports job creation, economic reform, and effective and accountable institutions in Tunisia. This includes a £32million contribution to the regional Deauville Transition Fund, which is supporting a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project in Tunisia. Bilaterally, the UK funded a visit by a UK Government expert to Tunisia in 2014 to share UK PPP experience. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is exploring options to promote British investment in Tunisia, including through PPPs.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the suspension of the pilot programme to end night arrests of Palestinian children.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: UK officials are seeking a meeting with the Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor to clarify the situation regarding the night pilot programme.

Attorney General

Crown Prosecution Service

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest available figures for the number of (1) men, and (2) women, employed in the Crown Prosecution Service.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: At the 31 January 2015, there were 2,218 men and 4,201 women (headcount) employed in the Crown Prosecution Service.

European Union

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Attorney General’s Office and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Attorney General’s Office did not incur any costs in the Government’s Balance of Competence review.

European Union

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Treasury Solicitor’s Department and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: As you will be aware, the Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.   It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does.   Lawyers in the Cabinet Office European Law Division of the Treasury Solicitor’s Department coordinated legal work on the Review. According to the Department’s time recording information, they spent a total of 192.5 hours on the Review between October 2013 (the earliest date from which this information is available) and December 2014. This consisted of 81 hours at Director level (salary range £85,000 to £162,500), 57 hours at Deputy Director level (salary range £62,000 to £117,800), and 54.5 hours at Grade 6 level (salary range £60,000 to £73,100).   Lawyers in other parts of the Treasury Solicitor’s Department provided legal services to a range of Government Departments in the course of the Review. They did so as part of their normal work, and did not separately record time spent on the Review. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.   The Department did not incur any other costs arising from the Review.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Community Relations

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what grants have been made to ecumenical organisations or faith-based developmental bodies to promote inter-faith dialogue or community cohesion in conflict-affected areas in each of the last three accounting periods for which figures are available.

Baroness Northover: DFID does not centrally maintain grants made to faith based organisations against this criteria. However, at the country office level, DFID has provided funding to faith based organisations to support efforts to reduce and prevent violence where religious tensions impact on conflict dynamics. For example, DFID’s Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) is working to support efforts to reduce and prevent violence. In areas such as Plateau and Kaduna States where religious tensions impact on conflict dynamics, NSRP is supporting both Catholic Justice and Peace Networks and Muslim organisations to work together to address conflict issues and build links across divided communities.

European Union

Baroness Prashar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Department for International Development and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Baroness Northover: The Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU that has ever been undertaken. The review involved a large number of departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports and was based on evidence and views received through a widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Throughout the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions and held over 250 events, which were attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.   It was important that this unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with the appropriate time and care, however the Government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does.   Costs   1) Staff costs   Work on the Review was allocated according to need using existing departmental staff. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.   2) Printing Costs   The Department for International Development paid £3,878 for printing and publication of the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Report.   3) Running engagement events   There were no additional costs for the running of engagement events beyond normal staff costs; there was no expenditure on hiring venues or meeting any expenses of participants.   4) Witness expenses   Across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,255.   5) Publicity   There were no costs associated with the publicity of the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid report.   6) All other associated costs   There were no other associated costs.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take following the High Court ruling that they have discriminated against Travellers by automatically banning them from pitching camps on Green Belt land.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government makes no apologies for seeking to safeguard Green Belt protection and trying to bring a sense of fair play to the planning system. The Government’s planning policy is clear that both temporary and permanent traveller sites are inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The judgment does not question that principle. It is quite wrong to say that the High Court ruled that the Government discriminated against travellers by automatically banning them from pitching camps in the Green Belt. The Court’s Judgment is around a technical matter, namely how policy relating to the recovery of appeals for Ministerial decision was operated with regard to traveller appeal cases in the Green Belt. The Judgment did not criticise the Government’s policy stating that traveller sites in the Green Belt are inappropriate development in any way. Indeed, there have been a number of recent legal cases where the courts have upheld the planning appeal decisions of the Secretary of State in relation to traveller development in the Green Belt, dismissed the claims, and awarded costs in favour of DCLG, including: Mulvenna v Secretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentBarney-Smith v Secretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentDear v Secretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentConnors, Connors, Sines, Lee, and Doran v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – five separate claims heard together.

Female Genital Mutilation

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454) about female genital mutilation, whether the declaration signed by faith leaders covered the whole of the United Kingdom or just England and Wales.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: DCLG worked with activists to draw up a Faith Leaders Declaration against Female Genital Mutilation. This short Statement makes it clear that Female Genital Mutilation is not condoned by any faith and establishes a commitment to work together to end it.Over 300 people including representatives from every major faith have signed the declaration. Faith leaders from any part of the United Kingdom will be very welcome to sign the declaration, and can do so by making contact with DCLG.

Female Genital Mutilation

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454) about female genital mutilation, how many of the 17 community projects funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Government Equalities Office include Scotland or are based in Scotland.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Communities and Local Government and Government Equalities Office are funding 17 female genital mutilation and honour-based Violence projects for a total sum of £270,000. None of the projects cover Scotland or are based in Scotland as this is within the devolved remit of the Scottish Government.The 17 projects are based across England in Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bristol, Essex, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Rotherham. The projects are as follows:Projects against female genital mutilationRefuge: female genital mutilation prevention in London - £5,951Women’s Health and Family Services: female genital mutilation prevention in London - £13,86728 Too Many: female genital mutilation prevention in London - £7,000Arc Theatre: female genital mutilation prevention in Essex - £4,680Integrate Bristol: Across the country - £19,807Enfield Child & Young Persons Service: female genital mutilation prevention in London - £11,572ROSA: The UK Fund for Women and Girls: female genital mutilation Website - £12,820Bolton Solidarity Community Association: female genital mutilation prevention in Bolton and Greater Manchester - £16,172JAN Trust: female genital mutilation prevention in London - £17,967Brook Young People - £14,743Africans United Against Child Abuse - £9,992FORWARD and African Advocacy Foundation – £40,000 – a national charity to create a network of community champions to speak against female genital mutilationProjects against honour-based violence including forced marriageRefuge: so-called honour-based violence prevention in London - £7,393Muslim Women’s Network: so-called honour-based violence prevention in Nottingham, Bradford, Rotherham and Manchester - £14,910Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid: female genital mutilation and so-called honour-based violence prevention in Birmingham - £15,000Karma Nirvana Community Champion Programme: Forced Marriage Prevention based in Leeds - £18,500Imkaan - £39,625 - a national charity based in London to operate as a community champion helping groups work together and share best practice and working with 8 other organisations.

Local Government Finance

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have undertaken to determine the ultimate costs of remedial action necessary to deal with the effects of withdrawing funding for local welfare assistance schemes and the fall in the spending on care for people aged over 65 years.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has not withdrawn funding for local welfare assistance. In this regard I draw attention to my speech in reply to the question for short debate of 10 February 2015, Official Report, Columns 1188-1192, which sets out what the Government is doing to support local welfare provision.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what bids were accepted by the Homes and Communities Agency for Traveller accommodation under the affordable homes programme for the period 2015–18, including in each case the location, number of pitches and the cost of the scheme.

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total sum allocated by the Homes and Communities Agency for Traveller accommodation in the period 2012–15; and why no amount is ringfenced within the £1.7 billion affordable homes programme for the period 2015–18 for that purpose.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Homes and Communities Agency announced grant allocations totalling £886 million to deliver almost 44,000 new affordable homes as part of the 2015/18 Affordable Homes Programme. Of this, allocations for traveller pitches are as follows: Local authority area SitePitchesGrant Funding Norwich City CouncilTo be confirmed - indicative allocation13£819,910Central BedfordshirePotton site extension2£150,000Central BedfordshirePotton site extension part 211£825,000Central BedfordshireDunton Lane12£900,000Unlike the 2011/15 Affordable Homes Programme, where all the funding was allocated at the start of the programme, the Homes and Communities Agency’s intention was to hold back at least 25% of the 2015/18 budget for future market engagement on an ongoing basis. This approach is intended to allow providers more time to work up proposals, including those intending to bid for funding for traveller sites, and reduces the need to ring-fence funding for particular groups. The Agency are now inviting bids for the remainder of the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme funding of around £800 million.Allocations for traveller pitches by the Homes and Communities Agency cover the period of the 2011/15 programme, rather than 2012/15. The total allocated in the 2011/15 programme was £49 million. This allocation reflected the number and quality of bids received.

European Union

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Department for Communities and Local Government and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Department contributed to the review, but did not lead on the actual production of any of the reports. The staff time spent on such contributions was undertaken by existing staff, so no additional cost was incurred as such over and above the Department’s staffing budget. A breakdown of staff time is not centrally held and would incur disproportionate cost to estimate.

Mayors: Greater Manchester

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the governance structure of each district council in Greater Manchester after (1) the appointment of a Mayor for Greater Manchester, and (2) the election of a Mayor for Greater Manchester.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have no plans to review the governance structures of the district councils in Greater Manchester. It is of course entirely open to those councils to consider for themselves the model of governance that is the most appropriate to their circumstances at any particular time, and should they wish to make changes, to do so in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000.

Private Rented Housing: Greater London

Lord Grade of Yarmouth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the policy guidance provided by the Housing Minister and the Department for Communities and Local Government on short-term lets in London, whether the proposed restriction of short-term letting of homes to a maximum 90 days in a calendar year will apply only to entire homes or whether the letting of spare rooms will also be subject to the cap.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973 provides that a residential premises, and each part thereof, which is used for stays of less than 90 consecutive nights is a change of use, and would therefore require planning permission. Through the Deregulation Bill, the Government is proposing to allow the premises subject to Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973 to be let for up to 90 nights per calendar year without applying for planning permission.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Ofgem

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their response to the consultation on the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Strategy and Policy Statement.

Baroness Verma: We are currently considering the responses to our consultation on the Strategy and Policy Statement and expect to publish in due course.

European Union

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and its associated agencies, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Baroness Verma: As you will be aware, the Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does.The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was involved with two reports over the period 2012 - 2014: (1) the Environment and Climate Change Report and (2) the Energy Report. The Environment and Climate Change report was produced jointly with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the costs of that report were shared between the two departments. The Balance of Competence Review Team in DECC was staffed by the equivalent of:· One Grade 6 (salary range £58 427 - £69 697) , dedicating approximately 30% of their time to the Review · Two Grade 7s (£48 408 - £57 735), dedicating approximately 50% and 80% of their time to the Review and · Two HEOs (£30 149 - £35 117), dedicating approximately 40% and 70% of their time to the Review.All other work on the Review was allocated, according to need, to existing staff within the Department. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.The Department of Energy and Climate Change paid £6 507.05 for printing and publication of the two reports.Engagement events for the two reports were held in several locations, including Aberdeen, Belfast, Brussels, Cardiff, Glasgow and London. Where possible these were held in Government buildings; some refreshments were provided. The total cost of events and refreshments to DECC was £458.40. To run these engagement events some travel by staff was necessary. However to provide a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.Across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2 255.00.No specific publicity costs were incurred.Counsel was used in the preparation of the Energy review at a cost of £8 500.

Department of Health

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what other techniques for mitochondrial donation, other than those being considered in the draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015, are being considered by them and by the Chief Medical Officer; whether such techniques will require the destruction of human embryos; whether they will require fresh regulations to be laid before Parliament; and whether such innovations have been drawn to the attention of the relevant parliamentary committees, ministers, or those involved in public consultations.

Earl Howe: The Government is aware of a new technique, which is at an early stage of development. It involves the use of polar bodies from fertilised or unfertilised eggs. The Expert Panel convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has looked at the available evidence. The Panel published an addendum to its third report, setting out its recommendations on Polar Body Transfer, on 15 October 2014. This can be found on the HFEA’s website at:   http://www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/2014-10-07_-_Polar_Body_Transfer_Review_-_Final.PDF   The Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 would not allow this new technique. If it was considered appropriate for clinical use, after rigorous assessment and consultation, that could not take place unless Parliament considered and approved new regulations to allow it.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the criteria employed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in determining which equipment, products or reagents require CE marking in order to be used in either research or clinical practice by all licensed centres.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) licencing conditions state that:   “Wherever possible only CE marked medical devices must be used.”   Further, HFEA guidance states that:   “The centre should use only media and consumables that have been CE-marked at a classification suitable for their intended purpose. Modifying existing devices (for example, adding calcium ionophore to culture medium) or using them ‘off label’ for purposes not intended by the manufacturer (for example, using a medium for a different purpose from that specified) has safety implications. It may also count as manufacture of a new device under the Medical Devices Regulations.”   “If the centre does choose to modify an existing product or use a product ‘off label’, it should (as the ‘manufacturer’) complete a risk analysis and validation to ensure the product or process is safe.”

Tobacco: Packaging

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to respond to the opinions lodged by other European Union member states with the European Commission regarding the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products in the United Kingdom; and whether they will place a copy of each response in the Library of the House.

Earl Howe: The Government will be responding to the detailed opinions issued by European Union Member States to the notification of the draft regulations for Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products.   The Government does not routinely publish its responses to detailed opinions.   The notification and information about which Member States responded can be found at:   http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tris/en/search/?trisaction=search.detail&year=2014&num=427

Tobacco: Packaging

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide details of any contact they have had with the government of Australia regarding the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings they have had since January 2013 in respect of the proposal for the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco; and, for each meeting, what were the dates and the names of individuals present including the names of any external organisations.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many meetings have taken place since 1 January 2013 between the Department of Health's tobacco control team and external individuals or organisations; and, for each meeting, what were the job titles of those present and whether they will publish a summary of each meeting.

Earl Howe: Ministers and officials meet a range of organisations and stakeholders on a regular basis to discuss tobacco control. The Department does not keep a central diary of the engagements that every departmental official has had.   Details of Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the Gov.UK website. A copy of these has already been placed in the Library.

Tobacco: Packaging

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from any police force or enforcement agency regarding the proposed introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco; and in each case whether they will publish a summary of each representation.

Earl Howe: The Department ran a public consultation between 26 June and 7 August 2014. Responses were received from a range of organisations, including some enforcement agencies. A summary report of the consultation will be published in due course.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to conduct clinical trials for pronuclear transfer and maternal spindle transfer should Parliament approve the draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015.

Earl Howe: If approved, the Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 will enable mitochondrial donation as a treatment. Safety and efficacy have been considered in depth throughout the consultation process on these techniques. It is recognised that for any new IVF technique there will need to be careful monitoring of the procedure and, subsequently, any pregnancies. Although treatments provided would not take the form of a clinical study, evidence produced from the treatments would form an important part of the ongoing assessment of the safety and efficacy of the techniques.

Hepatitis

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assurances they have received from NHS England that an interim commissioning policy will be in place by April to provide treatment for patients with liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C.

Earl Howe: NHS England is currently developing interim proposals to allow selected patients with cirrhosis to receive some of the new drugs that are expected to be available to treat hepatitis C later in 2015. Subject to its internal approval processes, it is aiming to have this policy in place by the first half of 2015.

Pregnancy: Mental Health Services

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the proposed 375 perinatal mental health visitor champions have been trained.

Earl Howe: The Department has already funded the successful training of 573* perinatal mental health champions and this total is likely to increase further. The champions’ training was commissioned from the Institute of Health Visiting. It covers the fundamental requirements necessary for health visitors to manage anxiety, mild to moderate depression and other perinatal mental disorders, including knowing how to assess for the presence of these conditions and if identified, the variety of ways they can support mothers - either by intervening themselves or through referral on to a general practitioner or specialist.   The training model enables participants to become local perinatal mental health champions and to disseminate their skills and knowledge to health visitor and other professional colleagues locally. All health visitors also have access to supportive interactive e-learning modules to help them in the detection and management of perinatal depression and other maternal mental health conditions.   *Source: latest available data from the Institute of Health Visiting

Pregnancy: Mental Health Services

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many clinical commissioning groups have a perinatal mental health strategy.

Earl Howe: Details of which clinical commissioning groups have a perinatal mental health strategy are not collected centrally.   A National Childbirth Trust survey published in 2014 found that out of 194 CCGs questioned, 5 CCGs (3%) said they have a strategy for providing perinatal mental health services. A further 34 (18%) said they are developing or planning to develop a strategy.   However, NHS England will, through its Maternity and Children Strategic Clinical Networks, support the continued development of maternity and perinatal mental health networks to drive improvements to access, quality of care and inter-service communication. This will enhance the experience of women and families generally, and more specifically for the large numbers of women who are at risk of poor mental health during pregnancy and following childbirth.   Specialised Perinatal Mental Health Services (mother and baby units) are part of a wider network of Perinatal Mental Health services and the commissioning of the ‘specialist’ (local) and ‘specialised’ (national) pathway is a responsibility shared between NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities.   Health Education England is working with partners to ensure that pre and post registration training in perinatal mental health is available to enable specialist staff to be available to every birthing unit by 2017.

Maternity Services

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to address any shortfall of beds in specialist inpatient mother and baby units.

Earl Howe: NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised inpatient perinatal mental health services that provide a safe and secure environment for the care of women with severe mental illness and their infants. Assessments should be made by clinical commissioning groups based on local needs. The number of inpatient mother and baby units specialising in psychiatric care during the perinatal period increased from 10 units in 2010 to 17 in 2014. NHS England has committed in its business plan to develop and deliver a pathway to support women with postnatal mental health problems by March 2015. It is also working with local partners to support the continued development of maternity and perinatal mental health networks through its Maternity and Children Strategic Clinical Networks to promote seamless integrated comprehensive care across the whole clinical pathway. To raise awareness of good maternal mental health during pregnancy and the first year after birth the Mandate between the Government and NHS England includes a specific objective to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support.   To support this, Health Education England will ensure that training in perinatal mental health is available so that specialist staff will be available to every birthing unit by 2017. We have trained 400 perinatal mental health visitor champions who are supporting health visitors with the identification and management of anxiety, mild to moderate depression and other perinatal mental disorders and knowing when to refer on.   The Department has also commissioned the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University to develop a perinatal mental health indicator, which will help us to better identify and address gaps in our services. NHS England is developing a plan to support women with postnatal mental health problems by March 2015 which will share best practice and learning with the National Health Service.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when their commitment to introduce the vaccination for Meningitis B is expected to be delivered; and what has been the progress of negotiations with the manufacturer.

Earl Howe: The Department of Health is continuing negotiations with the manufacturer to seek to agree a cost-effective price for the supply of the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine, Bexsero®, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. These negotiations will be completed as quickly as practicable.

Tobacco: Fraud

Lord Palmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control on tackling the illicit tobacco market and in respect of the statutory obligations of local authorities in this area.

Earl Howe: The Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control is an initiative of the Smokefree Action Coalition. Local councils are invited to voluntarily sign the Declaration, as “a statement of a council’s commitment to ensure tobacco control is part of mainstream public health work and commits councils to taking comprehensive action to address the harm from smoking”.

Tobacco

Lord Palmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of the information in Guidance for Trading Standards on engaging with the tobacco industry, endorsed by Public Health England; and what is the legal basis of the document.

Earl Howe: This guidance was compiled by the Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health Partnership to assist local authority trading standards officers.   The guidance, which has been endorsed by a number of trading standards and public health organisations, references the treaty obligations set out in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and guidelines that have been made for the implementation of the FCTC.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 4 February (HL4327), to what extent the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority contributed towards the content of the Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015; why the design of the regulatory process for assessing safety was omitted from the Regulations; what proportion of the Regulations are concerned with children conceived via the proposed techniques having access to identifying information about donors; whether potential children conceived via either of the proposed techniques would be expected to ask about the source of their mitochondria before the regulatory process for assessing safety has been designed; and if not, why Regulations governing children’s access to identifying information about donors have taken precedence over the design of procedures for assessing safety.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they took to establish that the draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 are compliant and compatible with European Union law and other European conventions; and what are the articles, conventions and criteria against which the Regulations have been measured.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided not to lay the draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 as separate Regulations for the two distinct procedures permitted by them; whether different outcomes are expected from the two techniques; and whether they continue to consider that human embryos should not be used if alternatives are available.

Earl Howe: As the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) will have to apply the draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015, if passed, the Department of Health had discussions with the HFEA on the proposed content of the regulations from a factual and practical perspective.   Three reports on safety and efficacy have been published by the Expert Panel convened by the HFEA. As a statutory independent regulator, it is for the HFEA to determine its own procedures for assessing applications for a licence to carry out a treatment service regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended (1990 Act). Applications for a licence to provide mitochondrial donation treatment are no exception to this rule and the HFEA will not issue a licence if it does not consider it safe to do so.   The 1990 Act sets out in detail what information may be disclosed when other donated material, i.e. gametes, is used in treatment. That is why related provisions need to be specified in detail in the draft regulations. Mitochondrial donor-conceived people would not be able to apply to receive information about their mitochondrial donor until they reach age 16.   The Government is satisfied that the draft regulations do not contravene any aspect of European Union law. It has carefully considered recent arguments relating to the Clinical Trials Directive (Directive 2001/20/EC) but is satisfied that the Directive is not relevant in this context as it relates to clinical trials of medicines.   The Expert Panel has stated that in its 2014 Report that:   “based on 2014 considerations the Panel still believes that there is at present insufficient evidence to choose between PNT and MST as a preferred technique”.   The Government is, therefore, satisfied that there is sufficient scientific evidence to justify Parliament being asked to consider regulations to enable the use of two mitochondrial donation techniques in clinical practice. It would be for clinicians in consultation with families to decide which technique would be best in each case.   It is likely that through the use in treatment of both techniques, further evidence is generated to indicate which technique is the most effective. In these circumstances, we do not believe there is a case for making separate regulations for each individual technique.

Pregnancy: Mental Illness

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether perinatal mental health training is incorporated into the undergraduate and postgraduate syllabuses for all general practitioners, health visitors, midwives, nurses and obstetricians and mental health professionals.

Earl Howe: The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service in England.   It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and content for education and training and ensure newly qualified doctors, nurses, midwives, obstetricians and mental health professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. The General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council set standards for the education of doctors, nurses, midwives and health visitors respectively. The royal colleges also have responsibility for developing curricula for doctors, nurses and midwives.   The Mandate between the Government and NHS England includes a specific objective to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support. Maternity services feature prominently in the key objectives set out in the Mandate between the Government and the NHS England. The Mandate states that women should receive better care during pregnancy and have a named midwife responsible for ensuring personalised, one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period. Health Education England will ensure that training in perinatal mental health is available so that specialist staff will be available to every birthing unit by 2017.   In addition, by March 2015 HEE, working with the Royal College of Midwives, will develop a continuing professional education framework for the existing maternity and early years workforce so that all healthcare professionals who come into contact with women using maternity and postnatal services have access to training to optimise the care and treatment of women with perinatal mental health illness.

European Union

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union to the Department of Health, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Earl Howe: The Balance of Competences Review concluded in December. It was the most comprehensive analysis of the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union ever undertaken. The Review involved a large number of Departments across Whitehall to produce the 32 reports. The Review was based on the evidence and views received through widespread consultation with interested parties from across society. Across the whole review, departments received close to 2,300 evidence submissions. Departments held over 250 events, attended by around 2,100 stakeholders.   It was important that what is an unprecedented examination of EU membership was done with appropriate time and care. But the government is also very conscious of the need to ensure value for money in everything that it does.   Work on the Review was allocated according to need to existing staff within the Department. Providing a full breakdown of staff time and costs would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold   The Department paid £3,473.00, excluding VAT, for printing and publication of the Health report. During the course of the Health Review, five events were held at a total cost of £183.48.   Across the whole of the Balance of Competences Review witness expenses amounted to approximately £2,255.00. No costs were incurred in publicising the report. There were no other associated costs for the Department of Health.

General Practitioners

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long patients have had to wait on average to obtain a general practitioner appointment in each month of the last 12 months in (1) Manchester, (2) Newcastle, (3) Bristol, (4) Birmingham, (5) Plymouth, (6) Harlow, and (7) Canterbury.

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many walk-in health centres have closed over the last 12 months in (1) Manchester, (2) Newcastle, (3) Bristol, (4) Birmingham, (5) Plymouth, (6) Harlow, and (7) Canterbury.

Earl Howe: Waiting times for general practitioner appointments and information about how many walk-in centres have closed are not collected centrally.

Ambulance Services

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average ambulance waiting time in each month of the last 12 months in (1) Manchester, (2) Newcastle, (3) Bristol, (4) Birmingham, (5) Plymouth, (6) Harlow, and (7) Canterbury.

Earl Howe: Information is not available in the format requested.   Information on the average (median) time to treatment for Category A (immediately life-threatening) calls is shown in the attached table. This is the time, in minutes, until arrival of an ambulance-dispatched health professional. These times are collected for the whole area covered by each Ambulance Service, but not for towns or cities within those areas.  



Ambulance Waiting Times Table
(Word Document, 31.01 KB)

Exercise

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Health Service has any plans to provide more specific exercise advice.

Earl Howe: The Chief Medical Officers guidance, Start Active, Stay Active, published in 2011 provides clear, age-specific advice on the volume, duration, frequency and type of physical activity required to achieve general health benefits. For example, adults aged 19-64 should undertake 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity and two sessions of muscle strengthening per week. Public Health England (PHE) has been asked to develop a ‘5-a-day’ style message to ensure we improve the effectiveness of these guidelines in public messaging. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommend that health care professionals identify those who are inactive and provide brief advice with follow-up. This recommendation is routinely delivered with 40–74 year olds through the NHS Health Check. PHE has published practical NHS Health Checks best practice guidance that includes how physical activity should be incorporated as a component of the cardiovascular risk assessment. Everybody Active Every Day, the physical activity framework for England that PHE coproduced with over 1,000 local and national experts (including from the NHS) was published in October 2014 and highlighted the key role of health professionals to increase physical activity. To support this role, PHE has published a set of free, Continuing Professional Development-accredited e-learning modules covering health and physical activity to support the development of requisite knowledge and skills. PHE is also working with the National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine on implementing physical activity interventions into clinical care pathways and with a range of professional health bodies and leaders to develop expertise and leadership across health professionals.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for people with mental health illnesses being detained in police cells rather than being admitted to hospital.

Earl Howe: Through assessing evidence gathered during the Government’s Review of the operations of 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (published in December 2014) and work with local areas on the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat (published in February 2014), we understand that there are various reasons why people are being taken to police cells for assessment under section 136 of the Mental Health Act rather than to health-based places of safety.   The Concordat emphasises the clear guidance in the Mental Health Act Code of Practice (2008) and reiterated in the 2015 Code of Practice, which was laid before Parliament for approval on 15 January, that for people (of any age) ‘A police station should not be used as a place of safety except in exceptional circumstances’.   The Crisis Care Concordat sets out our expectation to see the use of police cells as places of safety falling rapidly, dropping below 50% of the 2011-12 figure by 2014-15 for adults, and to see the use of police cells as places of safety for children and young people end, except in the very exceptional circumstances where a police officer makes the decision that the immediate safety of a child or young person requires it. Every local area has signed a declaration committing partners to improve crisis care and to work towards ending the unnecessary use of police cells for people of all ages, in line with the standards set out in the Concordat.   Figures from the financial year 2013-141 show a reduction in the use of police cells for people of all ages by 22% as compared to the previous financial year, and unaudited figures for the first six months of 2014-15 indicate the use of police cells reduced by a further 24%.   Source: Inpatients Formally Detained in Hospitals Under the Mental Health Act 1983 and Patients Subject to Supervised Community Treatment, England - 2013-2014, Annual figures. Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2014.  http://www.hscic.gov.uk/article/2021/Website-Search?productid=16329

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent closing of the acute dermatological services at Nottingham University Hospital Trust and the impact it has had on the dermatology services to in-patients with acute medical and surgical conditions and on training capacity in the East Midlands.

Earl Howe: The provision of services, including dermatology services, is a matter for the local National Health Service.   We are advised by the NHS Trust Development Authority that Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has worked with commissioners to ensure a satisfactory service is available to local people from alternative providers and the Trust will continue to provide an out of hours service for its inpatients and those patients requiring emergency treatment.   Rushcliffe Clinical Commissioning Group has commissioned a review to assess what is needed to meet the needs of the population in the future.   This Government established Health Education England to co-ordinate education and training activity across the NHS, including the management of training programmes for junior doctors. Health Education England and the Local Education and Training Board in the East Midlands are best placed to work with local employers in Nottingham to understand and manage the impact of changes.

NHS: Per Capita Costs

Lord Hutton of Furness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the spending per head of population on the National Health Service in England in 1997, 2010, and the latest year for which figures are available.

Earl Howe: Spend per head of population on the National Health Service in England is shown in table below and is stated in financial years.   Latest available spend per head figures are for the financial year 2012-13.   England NHS health spend per headYearSpend per head £Source1997-98712Office for National Statistics Mid 1997 population projection and net NHS spend 1997-982010-111,861HM Treasury Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 20142012-131,912HM Treasury Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2014